Monday, December 23, 2019

Little Known Ways to Boost Your Mailing Results


Did you know that direct mail recipients purchase 28% more items and spend 28% more than non-direct mail recipients?1 This is excellent news for marketers. But with increasing pressure on marketing budgets, you still want to make every direct mail dollar count. Here are three overlooked ways to boost your mailing results and maximize your investment.

1. Keep addresses current with public and private address correction sources.
Most mailers know about the National Change of Address (NCOA) service offered by the U.S. Post Office. However, did you know that only 60% of actual address changes get filed with the USPS? Or that NCOA only catches moves filed within the past 18–48 months? By using private address correction services in conjunction with NCOA, you can find moves not reported to the USPS and can often correct address changes as far back as 15 years.
2. Get addresses right in the first place.
It’s a simple principle, but it is too often overlooked. If you don’t get the address correct on the envelope, the mail won’t be delivered. 1234 Bay Avenue is not the same as 1234 Bay Street. Use professional address correction services to ensure that your mailing addresses are accurate and complete, so your mail pieces arrive as intended.
3. Suppress bad addresses.
Sometimes boosting results isn’t just about targeting people who are most likely to respond. It is also about not targeting those who won’t. Suppression services flag records in your list that are highly unlikely to respond because they have registered for the Direct Marketing Association’s “do not mail” service, have an address in a prison or extremely low-income area, or are deceased. In one analysis of five client mailings, for example, BCC Software saw an average return on investment of 300% by using deceased suppression alone.2
Don’t leave money on the table. Talk to us about standard address correction and the private address correction and suppression services available. You work hard to develop your list. Get the most out of it!

1  “Mail: Convert Browsers into Online Sales” (USPS)
2 “Find the 5 Bottom Line Impacting Items Hiding in Your Data” (BCC Software)

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

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Friday, December 20, 2019

Small Marketing Budget? No Problem!


Just because you have a limited marketing budget doesn’t mean you can’t have big results. With the right strategy, you can maximize your investment, no matter how much you have to spend. Let’s look at seven ways to do that.
1. Find and target your best audience. You might think that the more people you reach, the better your sales, but that’s not necessarily true. You’ll make more money by finding 100 people who spend $250 each than 500 people who spend $50 each.
2. Get expert advice — upfront. Involve us in the design of your printed and digital projects from the beginning. With print, in particular, we can recommend paper, ink, trim sizes, and layouts that save you money.
3. Be smart with your postage. Postage rates are always rising, so don’t mail less—mail smarter! Let us advise you on creating mail pieces that minimize your postage expense while maximizing your ROI.
4. Switch from letters to postcards. Postcards can deliver key information at very low cost, with near certainty that your message will get seen. Ask us for assistance in creating low-cost postcards that meet USPS specifications for reduced postage.
5. Establish yourself as an expert. When prospective clients need your product or service, you will have instant credibility if they have seen your name elsewhere in print. Create a newsletter or blog, write articles for magazines, newspapers and journals, or consider producing your own branded magazine.
6. Get out there. Be visible in your local community. You might be surprised how many jobs you can win by being a featured speaker at a local event or networking at a trade show. Utilize online networking resources, such as LinkedIn.
7. Partner with non-competing businesses. Identify companies that offer complementary goods and services, and create cooperative marketing collateral using a pool of shared dollars.
There are many cost-effective ways to maximize your marketing budget and get great results even from limited dollars. Just plan ahead and plan smart!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

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Get to Customers Before Your Competitors Do

As a smart competitor, you know that you need to snap up the opportunities before your competitors do. This includes potential customers. Your competitors are going after the same customers you are, so how do you attract them first? Here are three proven strategies that start at the mailbox.
1. Choose the right mailing format.
Not all mailing formats are created equal. There are many different formats available: postcards, folded mailers, mailers placed into envelopes, envelopes that are personalized or not personalized, window envelopes, and more. Envelopes and mailers can be different sizes, thicknesses, and colors. Experiment with colored substrates, clear envelopes, and on-envelope personalization.  Choose the right format for the type of campaign, and mix it up, too. Don’t always send mail that looks the same. Keep prospects interested in what you’ll be doing next.
2. Go dimensional.
In a stack of envelopes, a padded envelope, a package, or some other three-dimensional mailer gets attention. When 3D mailers arrive in the mailbox with a bunch of flat mail, they are almost always opened first. While dimensional mailers cost more than flat mailers, they get response rates that can make your mouth water. According to the Direct Marketing Association, dimensional mailers receive response rates 200%–300% higher than traditional mailers. So when your marketing ideas take shape, make it a literal shape!
3. Wow them with unusual finishes, folds, and bindings.
Tangible elements are what make the print channel stand out. Consider using some of the many spot coatings, textured coatings, die cuts, pop-outs, and foldouts that your customers don’t see every day. If you have been meaning to investigate fresh new options and still haven’t had an excuse to do it, maybe now is the time.
It’s time to get noticed! If you need some ideas or want to test new formats, substrates, and finishing options, just ask. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

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